TAIPEI, Taiwan -- The value of IT hardware products built in Taiwan grew by an estimated 10.5 percent during 2005, to $77 billion U.S., and it is expected to increase by an even larger percentage this year, according to Market Intelligence Center (MIC), a market research company based here.

MIC predicted that the total value of hardware products produced by Taiwanese companies will reach $85.6 billion this year, a gain of 11.2 percent over the 2005 level. The research firm said that the increased sales will come mostly from low-cost products and from business in emerging markets.

Taiwanese companies make 82.4 percent of the world's notebook computers and 98.3 percent of all motherboards, MIC said.

Briefly noted

-- T-Systems International GmbH, the IT services unit of Deutsche Telekom AG, has agreed to buy Volks-wagen AG's IT consulting unit for an undisclosed price. Berlin-based Gedas AG employs 5,500 workers, about two-thirds of them outside of Germany. Volkswagen also signed a seven-year, 2.5-billion-euro ($3 billion U.S.) contract calling for T-Systems to provide it with IT services after the sale is completed.